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On Pope Francis' 5-Year Anniversary, Predecessor Defends Pontiff

By Philip Pullella, Reuters
Pope Francis (L) meets Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican June 28, 2017. Picture taken June 28, 2017. Osservatore Romano/Handout via Reuters
 
Mar 13, 2018
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In his letter, former Pope Benedict disputed suggestions by conservatives that Francis' academic qualities were lacking, praising his successor as a "man of deep philosophical and theological formation" and praising an "interior continuity between the two pontificates".

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An image of the November 2026 issue of Sojourners, titled "Face to Face." It features George Lakey on the cover
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Pope Francis (L) meets Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican June 28, 2017. Picture taken June 28, 2017. Osservatore Romano/Handout via Reuters